Swifties lose it after lucky fan puts iconic Eras Tour 22 hat on eBay for $20,000
Swifties aren’t exactly known for their calm nature or forgiving disposition. And when it comes to the iconic Eras tour, Taylor Swift stans do not appreciate when people casually part ways with mementoes that are cherished by Swifties everywhere. So, you can imagine why it didn’t go down very well in the Swiftosphere when the recipient of Swift’s coveted ‘22’ hat tried to sell it on eBay for $20,000.
Anyone who’s been following the Eras tour knows that for each show, one lucky individual is chosen to receive the iconic ‘22’ black hat—originally featured in the music video for the Red track.
In August 2023, Swift bestowed the hat on Bianka Bryant, late basketball player Kobe Bryant’s youngest daughter—a moment that immediately went viral on TikTok.
@wslam Swifties at heart 💜💫 🎥: @Zoe Dokas
♬ original sound - wslam
And now, one other lucky ‘22’ hat recipient has decided to put her own memento on eBay, a decision that has Swifties going feral. Back in May 2023, TikToker Jeana Linzy’s little sister was chosen to be given the hat during Swift’s show in New Jersey.
Linzy’s video of the moment now has 2.6 million views and 474,500 likes. One user commented: “She can wear it on her 22 birthday,” while another netizen noted, “Oh my gosh what a lucky girl, she’ll remember that for the rest of her life.”
Fast forward to May 2024 and a Swiftie shared a screenshot on X, formerly Twitter, of an eBay listing selling that very hat for, wait for it, $20,000. The user wrote in her post: “OMG someone is selling the 22 hat?! Ugh I hate people!!!”
OMG someone is selling the 22 hat?! Ugh I hate people!!! pic.twitter.com/pt1DicWjC6
— marandaswiftie🦋 on a follow limit (@marandaswiftie1) May 19, 2024
Immediately, people began criticising the family who’d put the hat up for sale, claiming that it was beyond disrespectful to cash in on a memento another Swift fan would likely treasure forever.
One netizen wrote: “Taylor would be so disappointed. I hope she doesn’t see this because if she did, she could, not saying she will, but could stop giving the hats out,” while another commented, “I really hope she and her team sees this. They should be giving it to true swifties, especially OG swifties, who’d treasure this. Not random kids who weren’t even alive for most of Taylor’s career. I hope they do see this and change their criteria and start giving it to real fans.”
Details from the listing explain that the money the family get will go directly into a college fund for the youngest daughter. According to Pedestrian, the mother of the family eventually responded to the online criticism, circulating a message that insinuated it was the young girl’s decision to sell the hat: “If she decides she doesn’t want to sell it the listing will be [taken] down. I honour my kids’ decisions so even if she [doesn’t] go to college she can use this money for a head start in her life and or business that she chooses.”
This did quell other netizens who had begun to believe that the eBay listing was fraudulent. Either way, whether you agree with the family’s decision or not, it’s true that nothing will ever get past the keen eyes of a Swifty.
